ORLANDO, Fla. – In an attempt to get younger and more athletic, the Knicks were mulling an offer sheet for restricted free-agent power forward/center Alan Williams.
Who? Williams, out of little University of Santa Barbara, came from the Chinese Basketball League late in the 2015-16 season and excelled off the Suns’ bench last season.
The Knicks view him as a diamond in the rough. One source told The Post the 24-year-old is “a serious candidate,’’ but Phoenix could match the offer. It appeared Phoenix would be hard-pressed to match if it signed Paul Millsap, but the Suns since withdrew.
The Suns reportedly have offered Williams a multi-year deal at $5 million per.
One NBA scout looked at Williams more as a center than power forward. That would suggest Kyle O’Quinn departing in a salary dump.
“I like Williams,’’ the scout said. “He can really rebound. He can only play center, but that is fine. Not a bad fourth, fifth big. Some think he may be able to play 4 because he’s 6’8 or 6’9, but he is huge and strictly an interior player. I wouldn’t want him guarding 4’s who can shoot. He is just a 5 for me. But again, he can really rebound.’’
Last season, Williams averaged 7.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 15 minutes. Over the last 40 games, Williams led the league for bench players in rebounds per 36 minutes (14.9).